Loading
Intensive Care Unit Cognitive Disorders / Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research · Review
Frontiers in Physiology · September 2, 2026
A consensus or society position rather than new primary data.
This narrative review synthesizes evidence on long-term pulmonary sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, concluding that impaired gas exchange reflected by reduced diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is the most prevalent long-term pulmonary consequence, with restrictive patterns predominating. The authors identify substantial gaps in understanding the long-term trajectory of these abnormalities, population-specific risk factors, and the efficacy of rehabilitation, and call for standardized, longitudinal, multicenter research to guide evidence-based post-COVID pulmonary care.
Narrative review. Adult survivors of SARS-CoV-2 infection with objectively assessed pulmonary outcomes; emphasis on diverse geographic and demographic populations including the Arabian Peninsula.. Intervention: SARS-CoV-2 infection. Global literature with particular focus on Saudi Arabia and Jizan region.
Reduced DLCO identified as the most consistently prevalent long-term pulmonary consequence of COVID-19 Restrictive ventilatory patterns predominate over obstructive defects in long COVID pulmonary sequelae Significant radiological findings detected on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) persist in survivors
Safety was not reported in the material analysed. Check the source before drawing any conclusion about harm.
Clinicians managing post-COVID patients should prioritize assessment of diffusing capacity and recognize that restrictive patterns predominate. The review highlights that structured pulmonary rehabilitation shows emerging evidence of benefit and underscores the need for standardized protocols and long-term follow-up, particularly in populations with high metabolic comorbidity burden.
A narrative review synthesizing current evidence on long-term pulmonary sequelae of COVID-19, identifying reduced DLCO as the most prevalent finding and calling for standardized research and rehabilitation approaches.
As stated by the source record.
Clinicians managing post-COVID patients should prioritize assessment of diffusing capacity and recognize that restrictive patterns predominate. The review highlights that structured pulmonary rehabilitation shows emerging evidence of benefit and underscores the need for standardized protocols and long-term follow-up, particularly in populations with high metabolic comorbidity burden.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
What is missing. This record has no reported figures. That is a gap in the analysis, not a judgement about the study.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has left an enduring legacy of pulmonary morbidity among millions of survivors worldwide. While the acute phase of COVID-19 has been extensively characterized, the long-term pulmonary sequelae collectively termed post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) or long COVID remain incompletely understood, particularly across diverse geographic and demographic populations. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the long-term pulmonary consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with emphasis on functional, radiological, and clinical outcomes in survivors. Literature was identified through systematic searches of PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar covering publications from January 2020 to September 2025, using pre-specified search terms related to long COVID pulmonary outcome; studies involving adult survivors with objectively assessed pulmonary outcomes were prioritized. This review addresses the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying pulmonary injury, the definition and clinical spectrum of long COVID, the trajectory of pulmonary function test (PFT) abnormalities—particularly reductions in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and radiological findings detected on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). Risk factors for persistent pulmonary dysfunction, the impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and functional capacity, emerging evidence supporting structured pulmonary rehabilitation, and the specific context of Saudi Arabia and the Jizan region are also examined. A particular focus on the Arabian Peninsula is warranted given that regional populations carry a high burden of metabolic comorbidities including obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension that may amplify pulmonary vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 yet remain substantially underrepresented in the current literature. The available evidence suggests that impaired gas exchange most consistently reflected by reduced DLCO may represent the most prevalent long-term pulmonary consequence of COVID-19, with restrictive ventilatory patterns predominating over obstructive defects. Significant gaps persist regarding the long-term trajectory of these abnormalities, population-specific risk stratification, and the efficacy of targeted rehabilitation. Structured, longitudinal, multicenter research incorporating standardized PFT protocols is urgently needed to address these unresolved questions and guide evidence-based post-COVID pulmonary care.
Taken from the source record, never inferred. Follow any of these and new work involving them reaches your briefing.